NICKEL: Charges laid in deaths at Lockerby mine in 2014

ONTARIO – The Ontario Ministry of Labour has laid a total of 13 charges in the May 6, 2014, deaths of Marc Methe, 34, and Norm Bisaillon, 49, in the underground Lockerby nickel-copper mine near Sudbury.

Both men worked for Taurus Drilling Services, a contractor at the mine, and died in a fall of ground.

The ministry laid eight charges against mine owner First Nickel, of Toronto. Charges were directed at prevention of water accumulation or flow that might endanger a worker; installing sufficient ground support; requiring that reports be made for dangerous conditions; the proper remediation of misfiring explosives; proper illumination in the workplace to allow the assessment of ground conditions, and others regarding communications and reporting.

The five charges laid against Taurus Drilling pertained to the handling of misfiring explosives; reporting same to the Ministry of Labour; implementing safe ground condition programs; proper illumination, and reporting.

Information for this article came from NorthernOntarioBusiness.com.